Apparatus for separating liquids from gases or for the drying of air and gases, particularly applicable as a steam drier



Jim W; W25 1,5233% S FROM GASES OR FOR THE DRYING OF 7 A. E. TOMFKINS UID APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQ AIR AND GASES, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE AS A STEAM DRIER 2 Sweets-Sheet Original Filed Jan. 15, 1925 m 1? TOMPKHNS 5 FROM GASES OR FOR THE DRYING OF APPLICABLE AS A STEAM DRIER led Jan. 15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet A Ji W, 1925. A E

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LI QUID AIR AND GASES, PARTICULARLY Original 1 Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED srArrsf PATENT OFFICE.

-ALBEBT EDWARD 'romzrxms, or RRoexRNEURs'r, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS: r013. snrmrme mourns FROM eAsns OR FOR THE DRYING 01' AIR AND eases, PARTICULARLY Arrnoanrn AS A srnnm DRIER.

Original application filed January 15,1923, Serial No;

' November 22, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBERT EDWA D ToMPKI-Ns, a subject of the Kin of Great Britain, and resident of Brocken u'rst, En-

gland, have invented new and useful improvements in apparatus for separating liquids from gases orfor the drying of air and gases, particularly applicable as a steam drier, of which the following is a specific-ation This invention of improvements in apparatus for the drying of air and gases, or

the separation of liquids from gases, has relation in particular to apparatus for separating water from steam, and the term steam drier herein employed is intended to cover apparatus for any or all of the purposes mentioned.

The invention has relation to steam driers of the vortex type and has for its object the provision of improvements which shall enable certain advantages'to be obtained. The invention forming the subject matter of thepresent application is a division of the co-pending application Serial No.

612.762 filed January 15, 1223.

Referring now to the. accompanying drawi in s:-

ig. 1 is a sectional View on the line AA U of Fig. 2; and

Fi 2 is a vertical section on the line B- of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sectional views of modified embodiments;

In carrying out the invention, according to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. '1 and. 2, a steam drier comprises an outer casing 1 and an inner casing 2, concentrically disposed and constituting between them a wa- 4o ter separating chamber 3. The inner casing2 constituttsthe steam outlet 4 and also the annular baflie 5 surrounding the steam outlet,- which may be supplemented by a second annular baflle 6 surrounding the end of the casing 2 contained within the outer casing 1, which end is open and in direct connection with the water separating chamber 3. The second annular battle 6 comes directly in front of the steam inlets 7 which are constituted in the outer casing 1 and open directly into the water separating chamber 3, the inlets being such that the steam passing therethrough has righ velocity rotary flow imparted to it. The steam inlets 7 may be of various 612,762. Divided and this application filed Serial No. 676,455.

shapes and in the drawings Znrpular, square and oblong inlets are illusra'e rotary flow imparted to the steam by the steam inlets 7] separating chamber 3, the contained water inthe steamis separated out by centrifugal force and is caused to travel in a spiral path around the inner face of the outer wall of the water separating chamber 3 towards the water discharge outlet 8 which is separated by the annular battle 5 from the steam out let 4. .l,-The water is discharged at its maximum velocity and tangentially to the periphery'of the water separating chamber 3, thewater passing through the outlet 8 which is in the form of a tangentially disposed In consequence of the high velocity as the steam enters the water mum diameter of the water separating chamber 3.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 the water discharge outlet 8 is shown as a slot formed between the periphery of the flange or ring portion 9 on the casing 2 and the inner face of the outer casing 1, and as a continuation of the outer wall of the water separating chamber 3.

The direction of the. slot 8 is parallel or substantially so, with the axis of the drier, and the water travels therethrough in a spiral path and is discharged from this opening in a direction. tangential to the outer wall thereof.

The dimensions of the water separating chamber 3, measured radially, may be the same for the whole of its length or may progressively increase in one direction, illustrated in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4%.

The water separating chamber may be provided wit-h more than one set of steam inlets and when two or more sets are employed the drier may have one or more steam outlets.

What I claim is 1. A steam drier comprising a casing structure including a steam inlet, a steam outlet, an annular water separating chamber interposed between the steam inlet and steam outlet, a water discharge outlet situated at the maximum diameter of the water separating chamber and arranged to discharge the water in a direction tangential to ,the inner periphery of said chamher, and an annular b'afile surrounding the steam outlet, said steam inlet being constituted throughthe outer Wall of the ater separating chamber and formed and arranged therein to impart high velocity rotary motion to the steam passing therethrough.

2. Asteam drier comprising a casing structure including a steam inlet, a steam outlet-, an annular 'Water separating chamber interposed between the steam inlet and steam outlet, a water discharge outlet situated at the maximum diameter of the alter separating chamber and arranged to discharge the water in a direction tangen tial to the inner periphery of said chamher, and an inner casing constituting the steam outlet and also an annular bafile surrounding the steam outlct,'said steam inlet being constituted through the outer wall of the water separating chamber and formed and arranged therein to impart high velocity rotary motion to the steam passing therethrough.

and also an annular battle surrounding the steam outlet, and a supplementary annular ballle situated between the steam inlet and the inner casing, said steam inlet being constituted through the outer wall of the Water separating chamber.

at. A steam drier comprising a casing structure including an annular water separating chamber, a steam inlet thereto constituted through the outer wall of the chamber and formed'therein to impart high velocity rotary flow to the steam as it passes therethrough, a steam outlet from the separating chamber, an annular battle surrounding said outlet, a Water discharge outlet disposed at the maximum diameter of the separating chamber and adapted to discharge the separated water when moving at its maximum velocity and tangentially thereof.

5. A steam drier comprising a casing structure including an annular water separating chamber, a steam inlet thereto constituted through the outer wall of the chamber and formed therein to impart high velocity rotary flow to the steam as it passes therethrough, a steam outlet from the separating chamber, an annular baffle surrounding said outlet, a water discharge outlet disposed at the maximum diameter of the separating chamber and constituted ofan opening coaxial with the axisoi the drier through which the water is dischargedin a direction tangential to the outer Wall of said operating chamber.

(3. A steam drier comprising a casing structure having a steam inlet formed through the outer circumferential wall of saidcasing, a steam outlet, an annular Water separating chamber between the steam inlet and the steam outlet, a. water discharge out- 

